US Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Afghanistan early today as coalition forces continued to restore order in the town of Marjah. This is the first major test of the US and NATO counterinsurgency strategy since President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 new American troops to blunt the Taliban's momentum. Mr. Gates said the offensive that began last month is encouraging, but he stopped short of saying the success in Marjah suggests that the war is at a turning point. The Marjah campaign routed most Taliban fighters from a town they once controlled, without a high casualty toll for US troops and the Afghan security forces fighting alongside them. Despite what he called positive signs, Gates cautioned against optimism.